Russian ghost villages. The largest abandoned cities in the world. Pripyat, Ukraine: Chernobyl story

Abandoned cities of Russia, located outside of modern reality, appeared on the map of the country during political, economic and geological transformations. No one still knows how many there are in total.

How might they be interesting?

Ghost towns in Russia have become the basis for the founding of a new layer of a unique apocalyptic culture. It arose at the turn of the millennium, which was greatly facilitated by the increasing popularity of themes and the end of the world. Currently, the abandoned cities of Russia attract more and more adventurers, photographers, film directors and writers. In such dark places, creative people hope to find inspiration of an unusual nature.

Extreme tourism is also becoming very popular. Standard attractions, about which everything is already known, do not arouse such interest among avid travelers. A modern tourist is more of a researcher than a passive observer. In addition, the opportunity to share what they see using the World Wide Web brings incredible satisfaction to everyone who wants to separate themselves from the “gray mass.”

Kadykchan

When listing abandoned villages in Russia, the first thing that comes to mind is this particular settlement. It is the most famous of all similar places in the Magadan region. The population of Kadykchan began to decline rapidly in 1996, when an explosion occurred at a local mine. Almost six thousand people left this locality. A few years later, the only boiler house in the village stopped operating, after which it became simply impossible to live there.

Carpets and dishes were left in houses, cars in garages, toys in kindergartens.

Halmer-Yu

When describing the dead cities of Russia, one cannot fail to mention this settlement. The abandoned place was abandoned in 1996. Coal was mined on the territory of Halmer-Yu. In 1994, just over four thousand people lived there.

With the country's transition to a market economy, the question of the feasibility of the city's existence was raised. The Russian government decided to stop the operation of the mine, and two years later - in 1995 - to completely liquidate Halmer-Yu. It was not possible to carry out the process in accordance with international standards. The reason is that it required a lot of money. As a result, local residents were evicted with the support of riot police. The security forces simply knocked down doors and forcibly herded people onto trains to Vorkuta. Not all citizens were provided with apartments.

Currently, the territory of Halmer-Yu plays the role of a military training ground.

Old Gubakha

Among the main attractions of this locality is the Mariinskaya Cave, located four hundred meters from the now empty reinforced concrete plant. Currently, Old Gubakha, like many other ghost towns in Russia, is at the mercy of nature. Everything was overgrown with trees, bushes and grass - buildings, roads, and the central square. The following buildings are of particular interest to adventurers: the cultural and business center, the NKVD building and the hospital.

Industrial

This one is located on the territory of the Komi Republic. In 2007, it was inhabited by four hundred people. The now abandoned settlement began to decline after an explosion at a local mine. This sad event happened in 1998.

The gloomy houses that once served as camp barracks now stand completely alone. It’s especially scary in Industrial at night, when the wind blows through the empty buildings. The ashes of the houses leave an indelible impression (some of them were burned under the supervision of firefighters during the liquidation of the village, others were destroyed deliberately).

Anniversary

Most of the able-bodied men - residents of this village - worked at a mine called Shumikhinskaya. By decision of the management it was abolished in 1998. All workers were left out of work. The miners banged their helmets on the local administration in Gremyachinsk for three months, but the protests led to nothing.

In the winter of '99, the village's heating system was defrosted. People were forced to leave their homes.

The appalling condition of the village's buildings is due to a heat supply disaster. Water penetrated into the masonry of empty houses, which naturally froze during the cold season. With the onset of spring, the walls began to rapidly collapse. Currently, the buildings look like they were after an earthquake or bombing. The looters are not asleep: they are constantly taking out the surviving materials from Yubileiny.

Iultin

This settlement was once the center of tin mining in Chukotka. Living conditions there were extremely difficult due to the unfavorable climate. Since 1994, the resettlement of Iultin began. It is noteworthy that people left this place in great haste, as if an emergency evacuation was being carried out. That is why this place, like many other dead cities in Russia, attracts those who like to stare at the lived-in empty apartments. Naturally, looters often visit Iultin.

Kolendo

This settlement is located on the territory of the Okha district of the Sakhalin region. This is one of the most famous oil and gas fields. Local wells produced as much black gold as the entire Okha oil field.

The development plan for the workers' village of Kolendo was approved in 1963, but the life of this settlement was short-lived - just over thirty years. In 1996, due to an earthquake in Neftegorsk, people began to be resettled. Now there is not a soul in Colendo.

Nizhneyansk

Many abandoned cities and villages in Russia are accessible to visit, which cannot be said about Nizhneyansk. This settlement is located beyond the Arctic Circle. Even the most ardent fans of extreme travel do not dare to visit this empty village - it is located too far away. That is why stories about Nizhneyansk are increasingly being told to verify the veracity of which most are unable to do so. The notorious daredevils who visited this place claim that they have never seen anything more terrible. Nizhneyansk is a ready-made backdrop for chilling horror films. Gray blocky two-story buildings stretch into long, gloomy streets. Silhouettes periodically appear in windows with broken glass. Or maybe these are just rags, disturbed by cold winds?

Fin whale

Some abandoned cities in Russia were top-secret sites in the past. So Finval is just an invented name. The real name of the bay, which became the habitat of Navy officers, is Bechevinskaya. On its territory, a four-story dormitory (popularly called a “wonderhouse”), two three-story buildings with officers’ apartments, and a store were erected. In addition, barracks, a headquarters, a galley, a diesel substation, a garage, a boiler room and a warehouse were built.

The garrison was disbanded in 1996. There are no military personnel in Finval now. Only bears and foxes roam the desert streets.

Alykel

Many abandoned cities in Russia were home to military personnel. Among them is Alykel. After the withdrawal of the air squadron, it simply died out. There is very little information about the city. Collecting data is incredibly difficult due to the closed nature of the place. Currently, multi-storey buildings and an airport remain on its territory.

Neftegorsk

The city occupies a special sad place in the list of “Abandoned Cities of Russia”. Photos of this settlement on Sakhalin spread throughout the world overnight. And for what reason? The fact is that at one in the morning on the twenty-eighth of May 1995, a powerful earthquake (ten-magnitude) occurred there, as a result of which more than two thousand people died. Just one push turned dozens of houses into a shapeless pile of building materials. Rescuers from the Ministry of Emergency Situations did everything possible to release the survivors. Hours of silence were periodically arranged, since the moans of the victims were not so easy to hear. Of course, there were also looters, rummaging through piles of household belongings and clothing in search of something valuable.

The surviving Neftegorsk residents received free housing in other cities and financial assistance. Young people were given the opportunity to study at any university in the country for free.

Now on the site of Neftegorsk there is only a dead field, all that remains of the once prosperous city of oil workers.

Conclusion

Abandoned cities of Russia, the list of which is updated from time to time, can tell a lot of interesting things about the history of the state and its citizens. Unfortunately, looters mercilessly destroy the original spirit of such places. When visiting ghost towns, be respectful of such an unusual historical heritage.

Ghost towns are former settlements abandoned by residents. Each of them has its own sad story; The reasons are different (disasters, accidents, wars), but the result is the same - destruction and devastation. However, such cities magically attract tourists. Below are examples of the creepiest abandoned cities.

(Total 8 photos)

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Hashima is a ghost island. The settlement of the island began in 1887 due to the discovery of coal. In 1890, the island was purchased by Mitsubishi to extract coal from underwater mines. On the territory of Hashima there were mines, military factories, residential buildings, shops, a school, and a cemetery. In 1959, the island's population reached its peak of 5,259 people, but after 15 years the mines were closed and the island gradually became deserted. (Photo: inefekt69)

Agdam was once home to 150 thousand people. The city was founded in the mid-18th century and functioned until the Karabakh War (1991–1994). As part of the conflict, Aghdam was brutally vandalized by Karabakh Armenians. Today, in the ghost town you can see a number of ruins and the surviving Agdam Mosque. (Photo: Marco Fieber)

The city was founded in February 1970 and was the ninth nuclear city of the USSR. In April 1986, the population of Pripyat was evacuated as a result of the Chernobyl accident. Today, the site is considered one of the most famous ghost towns in the world; Despite the possible threat to life, excursions for tourists are regularly held here. (Photo: Liam Davies)

The city of Centralia was founded in 1841. Residential buildings, schools, churches, theaters, banks, etc. were located here. The main occupation of the townspeople was the anthracite coal industry. The reason for the relocation was an underground fire in the mines, which began in 1962 and continues to this day. Signs of it can be seen in several places, most notably on Route 61, where smoke is oozing from cracks. (Photo: Kelly Michals)

Today, Kayakoy village is a museum and historical monument. More than 350 houses where people once lived are in deplorable condition, albeit under the protection of the Turkish government. Kayaköy was abandoned as a result of the Greco-Turkish War; it was also destroyed in the 1957 earthquake. (Photo: Oleksandr Dantsiger)

Kadykchan is an urban-type mining village with a population of 12 thousand, which today is a deserted ghost town. Mass relocation began in 1996 after a mining accident. Most of the residential buildings have been mothballed. In many dwellings you can still see things left behind, indicating a hasty relocation. (Photo: Laika ac)

Fordlandia was founded by Henry Ford in 1928 as an industrial center for the production of rubber for the automobile industry. Ultimately the project failed. Mr. Ford left out many important details about growing rubber trees; the area was practically barren. In addition, he wanted to Americanize local workers. They were forced to eat American food and wear ID cards; The consumption of alcohol and tobacco products was also prohibited. Such restrictions sparked a riot in 1930. (Photo: (WT-shared) Amitevron)

Chaiten became a ghost town as a result of the eruption of the volcano of the same name in 2008. Local residents had to leave their homes and move to neighboring cities. Restoration of Chaiten began in 2011, but the damage caused was very extensive. (Photo: bibliojojo)

Ghost towns in Russia are scattered throughout the territory. Each of them has its own story, but the end is the same - they were all abandoned by the population. Empty houses still retain the imprint of human habitation; in some you can see abandoned household items, already covered with dust and dilapidated from the passage of time. They look so gloomy that you could make a horror movie. However, this is exactly what people usually come here for.

New life for Russian ghost towns

Despite the fact that cities are abandoned for various reasons, they are often visited. In some settlements, the military organizes training grounds. Dilapidated buildings, as well as empty streets, are good to use to recreate extreme living conditions without the risk of involving civilians.

Artists, photographers and representatives of the film world find a special flavor in abandoned buildings. For some, such cities are a source of inspiration; for others, they are a canvas for creativity. Photos of dead cities can be easily found in different designs, which confirms their popularity among creative individuals. In addition, modern tourists find abandoned cities interesting. Here you can plunge into a different side of life; there is something mystical and creepy in lonely buildings.

List of known empty settlements

There are quite a few ghost towns in Russia. Typically, this fate awaits small settlements in which residents are employed primarily in one enterprise that is key to the city. What was the reason for the mass relocation of residents from their homes?

  1. Kadykchan. The city was built by prisoners during the Second World War. It is located next to coal deposits, so most of the population was involved in working in the mine. In 1996, there was an explosion that killed 6 people. There were no plans to restore mining; residents received compensation amounts to relocate to new places. In order for the city to cease to exist, the supply of electricity and water was cut off, and the private sector was burned. For some time, the two streets remained populated; today only one elderly man lives in Kadykchan.


  2. Neftegorsk. Until 1970, the city was called Vostok. Its number slightly exceeded 3,000 people, most of whom were employed in the oil industry. In 1995, a strong earthquake occurred: most of the buildings collapsed, and almost the entire population was under the ruins. The survivors were resettled, and Neftegorsk remained a ghost town in Russia.

  3. Mologa. The city is located in the Yaroslavl region and has existed since the 12th century. It used to be a large trading center, but by the beginning of the 20th century its population did not exceed 5,000 people. In 1935, the USSR government decided to flood the city in order to successfully build a hydroelectric complex near Rybinsk. People were evicted forcibly and in the shortest possible time. Today, ghostly buildings can be seen twice a year when the water level drops.


There are many cities with a similar fate in Russia. In some, a tragedy occurred at the enterprise, for example, in Promyshlenny, in others, the mineral deposits simply dried up, as in Staraya Gubakha, Iultin and Amderma.

On our planet there are a huge number of ghost towns, empty and creepy, frightening a traveler who accidentally wanders here with the empty eye sockets of the windows of rickety buildings...
In this rating, we will present the 10 most famous abandoned cities, abandoned by people for various reasons: some were abandoned due to bloody wars, others were abandoned under the onslaught of almighty nature.

1. Buried in the sands of the city of Kolmanskop (Namibia)

Kolmanskop

Kolmanskop is an abandoned town in southern Namibia, located a few kilometers from the port of Lüderitz.
In 1908, railway company employee Zakaris Leval discovered small diamonds in the sand. This discovery caused a real diamond rush and thousands of people flocked to the hot sands of the Namib Desert, hoping to make a fortune.

Kolmanskop was built in record time. It took people only two years to erect beautiful German-style residential buildings in the desert, build a school, a hospital, and even a casino. But the days of the city's existence were already numbered.

After the end of the First World War, the value of diamonds on the world market fell, and every year the extraction of precious stones in the Kolmanskop mines became worse. The lack of drinking water and the constant struggle with sand dunes made the life of the people of the mining town increasingly unbearable.

In the 1950s, the last inhabitants left Kolmanskop and it turned into another ghost town on the world map. Soon nature and the desert almost completely buried the town under sand dunes. Several more old houses and a theater building remained unburied, which is still in good condition.

2. The city of nuclear scientists Pripyat (Ukraine)

Pripyat is an abandoned city in the “exclusion zone” in northern Ukraine. Workers and scientists of the Chernobyl nuclear power plant lived here until the tragic day - April 26, 1986. On this day, the explosion of the 4th power unit of the Chernobyl nuclear power plant put an end to the further existence of the city.

On April 27, the evacuation of people from Pripyat began. Nuclear workers and their families were allowed to take with them only the most necessary things and documents; people left all the property acquired over the years in their abandoned apartments. Over time, Pripyat turned into a ghost town, visited only by extreme sports and thrill-seekers.

For those who want to see and appreciate the full scale of the disaster, the Pripyat-Tour company provides excursions to the abandoned city. Due to the high level of radiation, you can safely stay here for no more than a few hours, and most likely, Pripyat will remain a dead city forever.

3. Futuristic resort city of San Zhi (Taiwan)

In the north of Taiwan, not far from the capital of the state, Taipei, there is the ghost town of San Zhi. According to the developers, very wealthy people should have bought these houses, because the architecture of the buildings, made in a futuristic style, was so unusual and revolutionary that it should have attracted a large number of wealthy customers.

But during the construction of the city, inexplicable accidents began to occur here and every week there were more and more of them, until the deaths of workers began to happen every day. Rumor quickly spread the news about the bad city, which had a very bad effect on the city's reputation for the rich.

The construction was finally completed and even a grand opening was held, but none of the potential clients bought a home here. Massive advertising campaigns and huge discounts did not help, San Zhi became a new ghost town. Now access here is prohibited, and local residents believe that the city is inhabited by the ghosts of people who died here.

4. Medieval city of Craco (Italy)

About forty kilometers from the Gulf of Taranto in Italy, lies the abandoned ancient city of Craco. Situated on picturesque hills, it was the patrimony of farmers and plowmen; its inhabitants were engaged in agriculture, growing wheat and other grain crops.

The first mention of the city dates back to 1060, when all the land was owned by the Catholic Archbishop Arnaldo.
In 1981, the population of Craco was just over 2,000 people, and since 1982, due to poor harvests, landslides and constant collapses, the town's population began to decline rapidly. Between 1892 and 1922, more than 1,300 people left Craco. Some left to seek happiness in America, others settled in neighboring cities and villages.

The city was finally abandoned after a strong earthquake in 1963, only a few residents remained to while away their lives in a new ghost town. By the way, it was here that Mel Gibson filmed the scene of the execution of Judas for his masterpiece film “The Passion of the Christ.”

5. The village of Oradour-sur-Glane (France) - a memorial reminiscent of the horrors of fascism

The small ruined village of Oradour-sur-Glane in France stands as a reminder of the monstrous atrocities of the Nazis. During World War II, 642 village residents were brutally murdered by the Nazis as punishment for the capture of SS Sturmbannführer Helmut Kampf by French resistance fighters.

According to one version, the Nazis simply confused villages with similar names.
The high-ranking fascist was in captivity in the neighboring village of Oradour-sur-Vaires. The Germans did not spare anyone - neither the elderly, nor women, nor children... They drove the men to barns, where they targeted their legs with machine guns, then doused them with a flammable mixture and set them on fire.

Women, children and the elderly were locked in the church, then a powerful incendiary device was detonated. People tried to get out of the burning building, but they were mercilessly shot by German machine gunners. Then the Nazis completely destroyed the village.

6. Forbidden Island Gankanjima (Japan)

Gankanjima Island is one of the 505 uninhabited islands in Nagasaki Prefecture, and is located just 15 km from Nagasaki itself. It is also called battleship island because of the walls that protect the city from the sea. The history of settlement of the island began in 1890, when coal was discovered here. The Mitsubishi company bought the entire territory and began implementing a project to extract coal from the bottom of the sea.

In 1916, the first large concrete building was built on the island, and then buildings began to grow like mushrooms after rain. And in 1959, the population of the island had grown so much that 835 people lived here on one hectare! This was a world record for population density.

In the early 1960s, oil in Japan increasingly began to replace coal in production, and its production became unprofitable. Coal mines began to close across the country, and the Gankandjima mines were no exception.

In 1974, Mitsubishi officially announced the closure of the mines and the cessation of all activities on the island. Gankanjima has become another abandoned ghost town. Currently, visiting the island is prohibited, and in 2003, the famous Japanese action film “Battle Royale” was filmed here.

7. Kadykchan - a village in the Magadan region

Kadykchan is an urban-type settlement, located in the Susumansky district of the Magadan region. One of the most famous abandoned northern villages on the Internet. In 1986, according to the census, 10,270 people lived here, and in 2002 - only 875. In Soviet times, the highest quality coal was mined here, which heated almost 2/3 of the Magadan region.

The population of Kadykchan began to rapidly decrease after a mine explosion in 1996. A few years later, the only boiler house heating the village defrosted, and it became simply impossible to live here.

Now it is just a ghost town, one of many in Russia. There are rusty cars in the garages, destroyed furniture, books and children's toys in the rooms. Finally, leaving the dying village, the residents shot the bust of V.I. Lenin installed in the square.

8. The walled city of Kowloon (Hong Kong) - a city of lawlessness and anarchy

One of the most incredible ghost towns, now no longer existing, is the city of Kowloon, which was located near the former Kai Tak Airport, a city where all the vices and base passions of humanity were embodied. In the 1980s, more than 50,000 people lived here.
Probably, there was no longer a place on the planet where prostitution, drug addiction, gambling and underground workshops were widespread.

It was practically impossible to take a step here without bumping into a drug addict pumped up on dope, or a prostitute offering her services for a pittance. Hong Kong authorities practically did not govern the city; it had the highest crime rate in the country.

Eventually, in 1993, Kowloon's entire population was evicted and it briefly became a ghost town. The incredible and creepy settlement was then demolished, and in its place a park of the same name was laid out.

9. Abandoned ghost town of Varosha (Cyprus)

Varosha is a district of Famagusta, a city in Northern Cyprus founded in the 3rd century AD. Until 1974, Varosha was a real “Mecca” for beach lovers. Thousands of tourists from all over the world flocked here to bask in the gentle rays of the Cypriot sun. They say that the Germans and British made reservations in luxury hotels 20 years in advance!

The resort flourished, with new hotels and villas built up, until everything changed in 1974. That year, the Turks invaded Varosha with NATO support to protect the Turkish minority Cypriot population from being persecuted by ethnic Greeks.

Since then, the Varosha quarter has become a ghost town, surrounded by barbed wire, where the Turkish military has not allowed anyone to enter for four decades. The houses are dilapidated, the windows are broken and the streets of the once lively quarter are in widespread devastation. The apartments and shops are empty and completely looted, first by the Turkish military and then by local looters.

10. Lost city of Agdam (Azerbaijan)

Agdam, a city once famous for its wine throughout the Soviet Union, is now dead and uninhabited... The war in Nagorno-Karabakh, which lasted from 1990 to 1994, did not give a chance to exist for the lowland city, where they used to brew excellent cheese and make the best port in the Union.
The collapse of the USSR led to the outbreak of hostilities in many former republics.

Azerbaijan did not escape this either, whose warriors were able to seize wagons with rockets located near Agdam. They turned out to be very convenient to bomb the Armenian Stepanakert. Such actions ultimately led to a sad ending.

In the summer of 1993, Agdam was surrounded by 6,000 soldiers of the Nagorno-Karabakh Liberation Army. With the support of helicopters and tanks, the Armenians practically wiped out the hated city from the face of the earth, and carefully mined the approaches to it. Therefore, to this day, visiting the ghost town of Agdam is unsafe for life.

 

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